An unmodified timber pole has an extremely limited degree of compression in the direction of the grain of the timber. These props have limited use in deep level mines where the rate of closure of the hanging and footwall is rapid. Numerous expedients, mainly due to considerations of cost, have in the past been resorted to increase the degree of compressibility of timber props and so to prolong their useful lives. With one type of known support the prop is encircled by a ductile metal, glass fibre or like sleeve to increase its compression capability while remaining load supporting. In another type of more cost effective prop one or both ends of an unsleeved prop are tapered. A major difficulty, however, with all known types of yieldable elongate timber is that one or both ends of the props burr radially outwardly as the props is reduced in length under load and that more often than not one of the burring ends brushes to one side to cause the prop to skew and become ineffective as a load support.